This year's Christmas commercials vary hugely in tone and length: the adverts for John Lewis, Sky, Boots and the Google Nexus favour sentimentality while Harvey Nichols and Phones 4 U have gone for a irreverent approach and Aldi manages to cleverly combine both. Marks & Spencer take the prize for most spectacular film while Waitrose concentrates on the food and Sainsbury's opts to get real with a documentary approach.

Aldi: 'Chocolate Reindeer' (starts at 00:06)

Director MJ Delaney's feature film début Powder Room may be about to hit the cinemas but the 27-year-old shows no signs of giving up her day job, which must be a massive relief for Aldi. Delaney is one of a talented roster of directors who have helped McCann Manchester create highly effective advertising for the budget supermarket over the last few years and this year's Christmas ad is a gem.Agency: McCann ManchesterDirector: MJ Delaney

Boots: 'Young Santa' (starts at 00:29)

The first 20 seconds of this minute-long film make it look as though it might be a fund-raiser for Barnardo's as an alienated teen slams his front door and appears to head angrily into the snowy streets – but all is not quite as it seems. It's a riskier approach than the 'Here Come The Girls' adverts used in previous festive seasons, but thanks to a lovely performance and a great choice of music – Smalltown Boy by Bronski Beat – it's both uplifting and rather sweet.Agency: MotherDirector: Jeff Labbé

Google Nexus: 'Container Ship' (starts at 01:33)

Who'd have thought that a commercial for a tablet computer would be right up there among the most emotionally impactful commercials this Christmas? Beautifully using one of Slade's lesser-known tracks, this is a tale demonstrating how the advertised device can bring people together at Christmas – even when they're forced to be apart. Newly formed agency Joint London and director Kevin Thomas have created a piece of advertising that is bound to help Google challenge Apple's dominance of the tablet market this Christmas.Agency: Joint LondonDirector: Kevin Thomas

Harvey Nichols: 'Sorry, I Spent It On Myself' (starts at 02:37)

The luxury department store has forged quite a reputation for bucking the Christmas trend and this year is no exception. While other advertisers have had us gulping back the tears with their seasonal marketing, Harvey Nicks have the temerity to suggest that we should only be thinking of ourselves. It's all tongue-in-cheek of course but – believe it or not – each of the cheapskate gifts featured in this advert is genuinely available to buy. Agency: adam&eveDDBDirector: James Rouse

John Lewis: 'The Bear and the Hare' (starts at 04:25)

Two years ago, our hearts ached for the little boy who couldn't wait to hand over the gift he'd bought for his parents. Last year, a snowman set out on a valiant mission to secure gloves and a scarf for his frozen soulmate. What could Adam&EveDDB come up with this year to sustain this level of emotional impact? The answer came in the form of an animated tale of friendship among woodland animals and a cover version of a much-loved Keane song by Lily Allen. Did the public love it, though? This sequence from Channel 4's Gogglebox is pretty revealing. Agency:adam&eveDDBDirector: Elliot Dear / Yves Geleyn

Marks & Spencer: 'Alice in Oz' (starts at 06:30)

In the 'making of' video attached to M&S's Yuletide advert, Helena Bonham-Carter says: "Because I sort of live with Tim Burton ... to play the dismembered head of a wizard is actually a kind of a normal thing for me to do." Hmmm. The ad itself – an Alice In Wonderland and Wizard of Oz mash-up – is daringly spectacular in a year when Christmas advertising reflects a sense that we're all still feeling the financial pinch. Agency: RKCR/Y&RDirector: Johan Renck

Phones 4 U: 'Aunt' (starts at 08:33)

David Mitchell must have popped into a recording booth in a brief lull between panel shows to record the voiceover for this disturbing piece of comedy for Phones 4 U. The retailer is suggesting that the bonus items they provide to customers will make excellent Christmas gifts ... so good, in fact, that they may prompt an unwelcome level of gratitude.Agency: adam&eveDDBDirector: Jeff Low

Sainsbury's: 'Christmas Moments' (starts at 09:07)

The most ambitious Christmas campaign this year was provided by Sainsbury's, which bought an entire ad break in the middle of Coronation Street to bring us this three-minute trail for a documentary called Christmas In A Day. The 50-minute film was compiled by features director Kevin Macdonald from footage shot by ordinary people around the country last Christmas. The 'trail' is a beguiling mixture of humour and poignancy and proves – as if it needed proving – that 'there's nowt so queer as folk'.Agency: Abbott Mead Vickers BBDOProduction company: RSA Films

Sky: 'Magic Moments' (starts at 12:14)

Before we found other, more technically sophisticated ways of not talking to each other, we all used to gather around the television to watch a big movie at Christmas time. Sky's seasonal advertising taps into this memory by claiming that we can still be brought together by entertainment on a screen even if it isn't necessarily a television. The pleasure of shared experience still has a lot going for it ... as does the excuse to avoid conversation.Agency: WCRSDirector: Ivan Bird

Waitrose: 'Turkeys' (starts at 13:45)

For many of us, the inevitable centrepiece of Christmas lunch is the turkey, and this beautifully filmed commercial makes the case for purchasing your bird at Waitrose. The script draws a parallel between the rearing of turkeys destined to be eaten on the big day and their preparation in the kitchen. It's a simple, food-focused approach that appears certain to persuade many to order their turkeys from Waitrose this year.Agency: Bartle Bogle HegartyDirector: Stuart Douglas